The Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS) mourns the passing of Rev. Martin Abrahams, former President of the Moravian Church in South Africa (MCSA), who passed away on 4 November at the age of 64.

Rev. Abrahams was a longstanding partner of EMS and served on the EMS Mission Council until 2024. “He was a leader of deep humility and wisdom, whose unwavering commitment to justice and unity left a lasting impact,” said EMS General Secretary Rev. Dr Dieter Heitmann.

Reflecting on his legacy, EMS President Rev. Anne Heitmann added: “His presence in the EMS governing bodies was a gift to the fellowship. During the EMS General Assembly in 2022, when we welcomed the Christian Church in West Sulawesi (GKSB) as a new member, Martin shared that his ancestors had been brought to South Africa as slaves from Makassar in Sulawesi. He was deeply moved by the fact that, centuries later, within the EMS fellowship, they were now equal members of a community that reconnected him with the land of his ancestors.”

Born on 7 November 1960 in Cape Town, Rev. Abrahams devoted his life to ministry, reconciliation, and the spiritual upliftment of communities across South Africa.

He played a pivotal role in the MCSA’s reconciliation efforts, notably accepting a historic apology from the Dutch Reformed Church for its complicity in apartheid. In a landmark sermon delivered in De Grote Kerk in Cape Town, he stated: “It is possible to find each other. It is possible, irrespective of the pain of the past. It is possible to move on and to walk a path hand in hand.”

Under his leadership, the MCSA was a strong public witness for justice, actively engaging in societal healing and transformation in post-apartheid South Africa.

Rev. Abrahams was also a passionate advocate for preserving the church’s heritage, especially its foundational mission in Genadendal – the oldest mission station in Southern Africa, established in 1738.